UIL Congress Contest

Congress is an individual contest in a large group setting. It models the legislative process of democracy, specifically, the United States Congress. Within this mock legislative assembly competition, contestants draft legislation (proposed laws and position statements) submitted to the tournament, and they research the docket of bills and resolutions dealing with real-world  social and political policies prior to the contest to prepare their speeches. At the tournament, students caucus in committees, deliver formal discourse on the merits and disadvantages of each piece of legislation, and vote to pass or defeat the measures they have examined. Parliamentary procedure forms structure for the discourse, and students extemporaneously respond to others’ arguments over the course of a session.

Resources & Guidelines

• 2025-26 Congress Handbook - coming soon!
• Overview of the Congress Contest
• Synopsis & Time Structure of Congress
• Skills Gained from Participating in the Congress Contest
• The Case for UIL Congressional Debate
• Writing Effective Congress Legislation
• Showcase Video of Congress
• Request for Accommodation Process

Congress Competition

• 2025-26 Important Dates
• 2025-26 Region Clerks 
• Region Legislation 

Resources for Judge Training

• Judge Awareness Training
• Debate Rubric: Speaking
• Presiding officer Rubric
• Judge/Scorer Instructions
• Judge Training Modules

State Competition

2026 - State Tournament Information & Procedures - coming soon!

Congress Results History